(3/6)
Lucky Cruise
Chapter 570: I am invincible
“…”
The air was filled with a fragile dead silence. Invisible strings were pulled tight, seemingly ready to ignite and detonate in the next second.
This moment seemed to last only a brief few seconds, yet also felt like it spanned centuries.
Finally, a smile returned to Figaro’s face. The momentary lapse in composure seemed as if it had never happened: “…Truce, of course.”
As he spoke, he let go.
The chain fell from his fingertips, making a harsh clanging sound as metal struck metal.
“Cough, cough, cough!” Wen Jianyan stumbled and began to cough.
He wasn’t surprised by the other’s choice.
Figaro was a merchant, not a gambler. His eyes saw only cold, hard profit. In comparison, things like stance and honor were worthless. Therefore, once the risk of doing something far outweighed the benefit, he would never choose to continue the venture.
“If you don’t mind, we may need to sign another contract,” Figaro suggested thoughtfully. “However, after witnessing that scene just now, you might not trust the binding force of the contract anymore. So, after the contract is signed, I will release you directly. You just need to make your guarantee.”
Figaro had the means to tear up the contract, but Wen Jianyan did not. Thus, out of consideration for fairness, Figaro would proactively fulfill the contract first, and only after he did so would the contract’s binding force take effect.
…In a sense, he was being very considerate of his client.
Wen Jianyan: “Deal.”
Soon, a new contract was signed, and the golden scroll dissolved into specks of light and vanished.
Figaro didn’t waste words. Without knowing what he did, Wen Jianyan only felt his neck lighten. With a soft click, the heavy shackles that had weighed on him for two full days fell heavily to his feet.
Finally relieved of the burden, Wen Jianyan let out a long sigh of relief. He rubbed his reddened wrists, feeling a long-lost lightness.
Thank god.
The moment the chains were removed, all his permissions as an anchor were restored.
Figaro: “Shall we go?”
Wen Jianyan: “Wait a minute, let me change clothes.”
Although he knew he was beautiful and had never been shy about showing off his figure, that didn’t mean he was willing to wander around in such revealing attire. It was a bit scandalous.
Thus, Figaro turned around with great gentlemanly grace, leaving Wen Jianyan enough personal space.
Hearing the rustling sounds stop, Figaro asked:
“Are you ready?”
“Mn.” Wen Jianyan adjusted his collar. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed from the beautiful, scantily clad pet controlled by others back into the smiling, confident Nightmare top ten ranker holding the winning ticket.
Figaro turned around, a clear trace of regret in his eyes.
After finishing all this, Wen Jianyan took out his phone—as his anchor permissions were restored, the phone reappeared in his backpack—and sent a message to his squad’s group chat.
After a brief silence, the entire group chat exploded.
“Holy shit! Guild leader, you’re back!”
“What exactly happened? How did you escape?”
“Where are you now? Is there danger? Do you need us to come over?”
Messages popped up one after another, scrolling up rapidly.
Wen Jianyan was too busy to read them all and didn’t plan to explain his previous actions on the phone. He simply typed a line and sent it.
“Where are you guys now?”
There was a brief silence in the group chat. For some reason, Wen Jianyan felt something wasn’t quite right. But before he could think further, he saw Chen Mo send a message:
“Negative 2nd Floor.”
“Escaped?”
A lazy female voice came from inside the dark cabin.
“Hehe, truly unexpected.”
An arm like a lotus root reached out, brushing aside the draped gauze curtains, revealing a snow-white face.
Dan Zhu propped her head up with one hand, a smile on her lips, speaking slowly and leisurely.
Not far away stood a figure, their face hidden in the darkness, indistinct.
“It’s a pity, the opened doors probably can’t be closed again,” the smile in Dan Zhu’s eyes deepened. She didn’t seem to care if she had an audience, continuing to speak to herself. “More importantly, will those guys who didn’t get what they wanted really leave so easily?”
Even though she hadn’t participated, she seemed to know everything happening on the Negative 18th Floor like the back of her hand. It was shocking.
Dan Zhu’s eyes were still misty, but beneath that enchanting gaze lay a fearful chaos.
“It’s easier to invite a god in than to send one away.”
“But isn’t this the scene you wanted to see?”
In the darkness, the man who hadn’t spoken a word from the beginning suddenly spoke up.
“Yes,” Dan Zhu giggled, resting her head on her voluminous black hair like clouds. “I just didn’t expect it to go so smoothly.”
“I originally wanted to help him, but I didn’t expect him to escape before I even had the chance to act… Truly impressive.” Dan Zhu wasn’t stingy with her praise.
“You admire him?” the figure in the dark asked.
“Of course, can’t you tell?” Dan Zhu raised her eyebrows lazily. “How could I not admire someone so good-looking and capable?”
She played with her beautiful fingernails, saying casually:
“So, I hope he won’t get in the way next.”
Her tone was light and airy, but her words seemed to hide murderous intent, sending an inexplicable chill down one’s spine.
“…” The figure in the darkness moved, seemingly wanting to say something, but held back.
“What do you plan to do next?”
Dan Zhu turned sideways, looking obliquely into the darkness, her eyes seemingly hooked: “Come here, I’ll tell you.”
The figure in the darkness hesitated but slowly stepped forward.
His face was illuminated by the light.
A tall figure, a cold face.
It was Qi Qian.
Wen Jianyan and Figaro took the elevator to the Negative 4th Floor together.
Just off the elevator, they were surrounded by Chen Mo and the others who had been prepared.
Chen Mo narrowed his eyes, staring vigilantly at Figaro, who followed closely behind Wen Jianyan. Meanwhile, Wen Ya nervously scanned Wen Jianyan up and down, looking for any possible injuries on him.
But strangely, for some reason, the others were not present.
However, now was not the time to dwell on this. Wen Jianyan turned to Chen Mo, getting straight to the point: “When I transferred money to you earlier, I put an agate stone in your backpack. Can you find it?”
Chen Mo was slightly startled, lowered his head to open his backpack, and after rummaging carefully for a while, finally locked onto the target:
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.” Wen Jianyan extended his hand.
A pigeon-blood red agate stone soon appeared in Chen Mo’s hand. He handed the stone to Wen Jianyan, who then directly passed it to Figaro: “Here.”
After carefully checking that there were no issues with the item, Figaro tucked the agate back into his pocket—clearly, with the previous experience, he didn’t plan to put it back on his cane this time.
“Just send the remaining balance to my account.” Figaro tipped the brim of his hat, a beaming smile on his face, putting on a civilized and polite appearance, as if the person who temporarily turned traitor and tried to seize Wen Jianyan’s ownership wasn’t him. “Pleasure doing business.”
“You have my contact info,” he blinked shamelessly, as if he had forgotten all the conflict with Wen Jianyan, “keep in touch.”
It didn’t matter if he betrayed or if the other stole something; as long as the commission could be paid, they could continue doing business next time.
After speaking, Figaro turned around and left dashingly.
After sending Figaro away, Wen Jianyan finally let out a long sigh. The risk of losing his freedom and being sold as a commodity at any time was finally completely cut off. It felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and he finally felt a long-lost sense of relief.
Wen Jianyan turned around and looked at his teammates.
His gaze swept over their faces, suddenly sensing something strange, and his heart sank slightly uncontrollably.
“What happened?” Wen Jianyan asked.
“…” Chen Mo and the others didn’t reply immediately.
The ominous feeling in Wen Jianyan’s heart deepened, and his tone became uncontrollably solemn: “Where are the others?”
The remaining few looked at each other. Finally, Wen Ya took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said slowly:
“To achieve your goal, we need to continue going deeper, right?”
“…”
Wen Jianyan didn’t answer immediately.
But the answer was indeed correct.
He couldn’t be sure where the core of this instance was yet. Although Wen Jianyan hadn’t completely figured out the significance of the Negative 18th Floor’s existence, based on the intelligence he already knew, the core of the instance likely had nothing to do with the Negative 18th Floor—not just because it stored auction items and imprisoned countless monsters in the dark, but also because of the answer Wu Zhu had given earlier: the thing he wanted wasn’t on this floor.
Then where would it be?
The functional zones within the eighteen underground levels of the Lucky Cruise were clearly distinct—B1 to B6 were the casino, B7 was the auction, and B8 to B18 were the accommodation areas.
In this kind of layered structure where one had to go deeper level by level, the deeper the layer and the harder it was to enter, the more likely it was the core.
Since the wrong option was eliminated and B18 wasn’t the core, the importance of B6 began to rise rapidly.
Wen Jianyan didn’t answer, but Wen Ya seemed to already know the answer to the question:
“The Oracle should reach the Negative 6th Floor today, so we must break through the blockade on the Negative 4th Floor.”
Wen Jianyan immediately caught the key point: “…Wait a minute, how do you know the Oracle’s current progress?”
He paused: “It was Su Cheng, wasn’t it?”
Wen Ya closed her mouth and just looked at him.
“I’ll ask you one last time,” Wen Jianyan took a step forward. That face, which always wore a smile, lost its expression, looking almost terrifying. “Where are the others?”
Several hours ago.
“Are you sure?” Chen Mo looked solemn, repeatedly confirming with some anxiety. “Are you really willing to do this? If…”
“Of course.”
Ji Guan interrupted him carelessly.
“Stop wasting time.”
Negative 4th Floor, the Racecourse.
A terrifying human race, also a shackle and bottom line difficult to break through.
Su Cheng said that if no other way could be found, Wen Jianyan would eventually do it.
Even if it was painful, he would still do it.
He had always been like this, always swallowing the bitter pill others weren’t willing to swallow without a word, shouldering the shackles others couldn’t carry, and then showing a nonchalant smile in front of everyone—worry about what? I am indestructible.
But what about the cost?
He wouldn’t say, and no one would ask.
Perhaps… it was time for someone else to help him.
Ji Guan sat at the gambling table and bet all his chips.
He took a deep breath and prepared himself: “Let’s begin.”
Behind him, the heavy footsteps of the Debt Collector rang out, along with the harsh, piercing sound of clashing chains.
How to guarantee the horse you bet on will definitely win?
Tamper with that horse.
—And the most direct way was to become one of them.
